1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle covers. More specifically, the present invention relates to those vehicle covers which can automatically be extended from a storage position to provide protection for the passenger compartment of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
From the earliest days of vehicles with covered passenger compartments to the present, vehicle operators have contended with the elements. In summer, the sun beating down on a vehicle not only degrades the exterior finish of the vehicle, but also turns the passenger compartment into an oven. Rain, particularly mud rains, not only dirty the vehicle surface, but also permanently fade the finish. During the winter, snow and ice cake on the passenger compartment, particularly the windows, requiring the operator to brave the elements to scrape the windows so as to enhance driving safety. Hail may actually dent the vehicle surface or damage the finish.
To overcome these problems, car covers have long been known consisting of fabric or plastic shaped to the form of the particular vehicle. This cover may be stored in the trunk of the vehicle in a folded state, and then taken out and spread over the vehicle to provide protection. Although such a cover does protect the vehicle from the elements, a number of drawbacks exist. First, the cover must be manually placed on the vehicle, manually removed and manually folded. Not only is this procedure time consuming, but also difficult for one person to manage, particularly with larger vehicles. Furthermore, in winter, after a snowfall, it is necessary to clear the cover of ice and snow before it can be properly folded and stored.
To overcome these problems, automatically extending and retracting vehicle covers have been developed. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,134 to Mathis teaches a cover which is stored on a roller. The leading edge of the cover is attached to conveyor lines. When a motor is operated, the roller turns and the lines move so as to draw the cover over the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Several problems exist with the cover assembly disclosed in Mathis. First, the conveyor lines are directed simply by rollers. Thus, a tendency may exist for the conveyor lines to jump off of the rollers, particularly in winter when ice and snow may interfere with smooth operation. Also, although the Mathis cover might protect the upper surfaces of the vehicle, rarely does the sun shine from directly overhead and rarely does snow fall absolutely vertically, unaffected by wind. The Mathis cover provides no protection for the sides of the vehicle. Finally, if snow should fall while the cover is extended, it would be necessary to scrape the cover so that the ice and snow is not rolled in with the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,513 to Poirier teaches a power operated vehicle cover that solves some of the problems of the Mathis cover, yet creates additional problems. Thus, Poirier teaches the use of flaps to protect the sides of a vehicle. However, the flaps must be positioned manually, thus introducing some of the inconvenience inherent with fully manual covers. Also, although the cover extends automatically from a roll in the rear of the vehicle, it appears that no guides are employed to insure that the cover proceeds properly from the roller. Finally, as with Mathis, if snow should fall while the cover is extended, it would be necessary to scrape the cover prior to retraction to ensure that snow is not rolled with the cover upon retraction.
A number of other U.S. Patents, in addition to the two discussed above also describe vehicle covers. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,992,053, 3,222,102, 3,021,894, 1,999,171, 1,918,423, 1,912,231, 1,719,055.